Cosmetic surgery patients are increasingly having their treatments staggered
over several sessions to avoid attracting the attention of their friends and
family, experts said.

Britain’s largest cosmetic surgery group reported a sharp rise in the number of patients asking surgeons to make more subtle, gradual changes to their appearance in order to conceal the procedures from those around them.

Transform said 72 per cent of women hide non-surgical procedures like Botox and lip fillers from their friends and family, and more than half conceal the treatments from their partners.

Men are even more secretive, with 81 per cent admitting to keeping their treatments under wraps.

Liposuction was the single most commonly hidden surgical procedure, with 34 per cent of women admitting to keeping it a secret.

Overall, three in five patients ask for discreet changes that have a more gradual effect, according to the surgery group.

Shami Thomas, from Transform, toldthe Daily Mail: “A patient who came to us for Botox and lip fillers last month asked the practitioner if there would be any red marks or bruising as she had a date with her boyfriend that evening and she didn't want him to know that she had any treatments.

“When paying for a non-surgical or surgical treatment, it's important for many of our patients to know that the transaction will never come up on their bank statement.”

The new trend for “secret subtle surgery” may indicate that patients are at pains to avoid following in the steps of some celebrities who have admitted having drastic surgery in their quest for perfection.

Heidi Montag, who stars in U.S. reality show The Hills, has admitted undergoing ten procedures in a single day.

The 23-year-old has had treatments including neck liposuction, a mini brow lift, a chin reduction, Botox in her forehead and fat injected into her cheeks and lips.